The present invention relates to touchpad pointing devices generally and to their use for inputting a pattern to be recognized.
Cursor pointing devices for computers are known in the art, the most common of which is a mouse. Typically, xe2x80x9cmicexe2x80x9d were peripheral devices kept on the side of the computer and often required a pad along which to slide. With the popularity of laptop computers and their continual reductions in size and weight, other types of mice have been produced. For example, there are mini trackballs which are located in the middle of the keyboard and which are operated through pressure.
FIG. 1, to which reference is now made, illustrates a laptop computer 10 with a further type of cursor pointing device 12, known as a touchpad pointing device, and two selecting buttons 14. Although not shown, touchpad pointing devices can also be implemented as external devices connectable to a laptop or desktop computer.
The touchpad pointing device 12 typically is a flat pad which identifies the location of a finger, labeled 16, thereon relative to the edges of the pad or to the previous position of finger 16. The touchpad pointing device 12 also includes hardware (not shown) which translates the relative position to a position on the screen. Thus, as the finger 16 sketches a curve 20 on touchpad pointing device 12, a cursor 22 follows a similar curve 24 on a screen 26 of laptop computer 10.
When the user has brought cursor 22 to a desired location, such as above the word xe2x80x9cFILExe2x80x9d as shown, he executes the action by either pressing one of buttons 14 or tapping on touchpad pointing device 12.
The present invention utilizes touchpad pointing devices as pattern input devices. This is accomplished without changing any aspect of the operation of the touchpad pointing devices themselves. Furthermore, the present invention translates the input pattern received from a touchpad pointing device into a start application command.
There is therefore provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a recognition system forming part of a computer having an operating system. The recognition system includes a touchpad pointing device, a recognition module and a signal capturer. The touchpad pointing device produces an input pattern in response to movement thereon. The recognition module receives the input pattern and attempts to recognize the input pattern. The signal capturer captures the input pattern from the touchpad pointing device and provides it to the recognition module if so activated. The input pattern can be a gesture, a letter, a signature or any other pattern.
There is also provided, in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, a unit for launching an application to run on a computer having an operating system and a pointing device which produces an input pattern in response to movement thereon. The unit includes a recognition module and a launcher. The recognition module receives the input pattern and attempts to recognize the input pattern as a previously trained launching pattern. The launcher captures the input pattern from the pointing device, provides it to the recognition module if so activated and provides a launching command which is associated with the launching pattern to the operating device, thereby to launch an application.
There is still further provided, in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, a security system for a computer which includes a security application, a touchpad pointing device, a recognition module and a signal capturer. The security application enables access to the computer upon receipt of an input signature from a user with access privileges. The touchpad pointing device produces an input signature in response to movement thereon. The recognition module receives the input signature, attempts to recognize the input pattern as similar to at least one trained signature associated therewith and provides a recognition result to the security application. The signal capturer captures the input signature from the touchpad pointing device and provides it to the recognition module if so activated by the security application.